Coming Home
by Angel Vanilla
Summary: Raven left Earth four years ago, and returns to find herself very confused about where she belongs.
1. Prologue

**Coming Home**

Prologue: Replacement

_**I know, I know. I'm so bad, starting yet another story. But this just popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone! I am working on Whale Invasions and Shrinking Towers, and Memories. It will be a while, though, as I can only get so much time on the computer, what with my sister and mom and all.**_

Before Raven even considered leaving the Titans, they knew something was wrong. She was more reclusive, never going out with them unless it was for a mission. She never ate with them. Not that she had ever done all of this on a regular basis in the past, but now her anti-social habits were growing ever worse.

They wondered what was wrong with her. They thought it was depression, but she seemed to be perfectly happy. They tried to talk to her, to get her to tell them what was wrong. She wouldn't. Raven just stayed locked up in her room with all of her overly-large, dusty books.

Then one day, she didn't show up for a mission. They all went up to talk to her, and found her door unlocked. There was no trace of Raven. All of her books gone, all of her clothes gone, and her communicator as well. She had left her locator on, they saw, but it gave off no signal.

Then they saw the note on the bed.

_Dear friends,_

_I had to leave you and I'm so sorry. But I'm needed on Azarath. It is my duty to help rebuild the world that my father destroyed. I'll come back someday. But I don't think you'll need my help much in battles, though. You'll be just fine, I'm sure._

_I'll use my communicator to contact you in a few weeks._

_Your friend,_

_Raven_

Nothing was quite the same after Raven left. There was no one to stop Beast Boy and Cyborg from fighting, no one for Robin to have an intellectually stimulating conversation with, and no girls for Starfire to socialize with.

And Raven had been wrong. They did need her help–more than any of them had realized. Ever time one of them got a slightly serious injury, they expected Raven to cure it. But Raven wasn't there anymore.

They just barely managed to keep the crime under control, with the help of the police.

Slowly, they began adjusting to life without Raven. Life without their dark friend.

And then, as she promised, she sent them a message using her Titan communicator.

"Friend Raven!" Starfire yelled happily. "We all miss you so. Will you not come home?" Raven sighed, her face looking tired.

"I will. Not now, but after we can get everything stabilized again. We have to form our entire government all over again, and that could take some time. But yes, Starfire. I will come home." Raven answered. Starfire beamed.

"I understand, Friend." The red-haired girl told her dark friend. Raven talked to the other three, having a similar conversation with each before ending the transmission.

She called every other week for three months, and then once a month. And then the calls started coming less, and less, until they finally stopped altogether.

The Titans wondered for a while, before something else took their mind off of Raven.

A group of scientists in Sweden had found the cure for Terra. She could be released from her stony grave now. She could be free.

All of them were there the day that she was released, and they all voted her back as a Titan. They barely noticed when she asked where Raven was.

Everyone quickly forgot about Raven, the dark enchantress. They had Terra. What else did they need? The Teen Titans were once again five, and more powerful than ever.

And no one missed Raven.


	2. Return to Earth

**Coming Home**

Chapter One: Return to Earth

Princess Cesia of Azarath smiled to herself as she packed the black bag she would take with her.

"Are you sure you wish to do this, Cesia? Leave Azarath?" Her mother, Queen Arella of Azarath, asked. She nodded without hesitation.

"It's been long enough. I promised them I would come back. Even though it's been four years, I always keep my promises, Mother." Cesia answered. Today was the day that she was returning to them. Her friends and family.

The Teen Titans.

Well, they weren't teens anymore. But the last Raven had heard they were still a team. Now they called themselves the Titans, and were lead by Nightwing. Cyborg and Terra were the only ones to keep their names. Starfire shortened her name to Star, and Beast Boy became Changeling.

Yes, they had changed. They'd grown up. But they were still her family. Her loved ones. The people she left four years ago to help rebuild the destroyed planet of her birth. The planet her mother and stepfather ruled.

"We will miss you," King Tol of Azarath, Cesia's stepfather, told her. "Goodbye, Cesia."

"No," She told him, smiling happily, "My name is Raven."

Raven, once again taking her old name, decided not to tell the Titans that she was going back. She would surprise them. The anniversary of the founding of the original Teen Titans was in two weeks–that was the day that she would go back to them.

Until that time, she needed a place to stay.

She had taken money with her, and she used some of it to rent a hotel room. It would do nicely for a week, she decided, laying down the bag of things she had brought with her.

Yes, she wanted to see her friends. But until then, Raven decided, she would do some soul-searching.


	3. Decisions

**Coming Home**

Chapter Two: Decisions

Raven was in her hotel room, doing something she had not done for quite some time. A few years, if she remembered correctly.

Raven was meditating.

Not to get control over her emotions, and therefore her powers, but to gain information from herself.

She wanted to know why she had come here, exactly, and what she planned to do.

Yes, she was here to see her friends, but was that all? She had originally wanted to rejoin the Titans, but now that she thought about it, she saw hundreds of opportunities before her.

She didn't look like the Raven they knew. Her hair had darkened, becoming black, and she was taller. The only thing that remained the same was her eyes, and even those had darkened slightly.

She didn't look like Raven, so why did she have to be? She could just pop in and say hi to her friends, let them know she still thought about them and loved them, and then live as a normal person. She could enroll in college, get a job, have a life. No more hero business, and no more princess duties. No more politics, and no more worrying about her past.

Raven sighed. She wanted to be normal so very much, but she also wanted to be with her friends again. She was torn between the two.

She gave up trying to meditate on the matter, and reached for the newspaper that she had picked up from the lobby that morning. Raven flipped through it and saw an article about Batman. She kept flipping, and then saw something about Bruce Wayne.

Then it hit her.

She didn't know why she didn't think of it before! She could be normal, and still be Raven! If Bruce Wayne could do it, if Peter Parker could do it, then so could she.

Raven made up her mind to look for an apartment the next day. Then she would look into college courses and a job. She wouldn't be a Titan, but she would be their friend and ally. Just not as the girl they knew as their friend...

Nightwing looked at his friends, happily eating their dinner. Changeling was laughing at something Terra had said, and Cyborg was asking Star for advice on how to handle Bee.

Nightwing cleared his throat. Immediately the chatter ceased, and all eyes were on him. He smiled. Ah, the perks of being the leader...

"The Titans anniversary is coming up, and I thought we might have a party," He said. The suggestion was met with great enthusiasm by his teammates.

"We can invite the Titans East!" Cyborg said, thinking of his girlfriend. This suggestion caused Star, Terra and Changeling to start spouting off people they could invite.

"Where are we going to have it, though? Last time we had a party here, it really wasn't pretty," Changeling said.

"Good point. The grass stain's right," Cyborg said.

"Hey!" Changeling shouted. Nightwing chuckled. Even though the'd all grown up, those two hadn't changed in the way they still fought and teased each other.

"Bruce offered to have it at the manor," Nightwing said.

"Awesome!" Terra cried, grinning. Out of all of them, she had changed the most in the shortest amount of time. The Titans had matured without her, while she was trapped in her stone prison. But she had soon caught up, acting only slightly like the teenager she once was.

"Yeah, I love that place!" Changeling agreed.

"The Batman's house truly is amazing," Star agreed.

Nightwing laughed at their reactions, and stood up. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to bed." He told them. They looked at him as if he were crazy.

"It's only eleven, man!" Cyborg told him, astonished.

"And you'll be sorry if the alarm goes off at five in the morning," Nightwing answered, walking off towards his room.

On the way down the hall, he did something he hadn't done in months. Since her birthday, actually. He paused at the metal door with a single word on it.

**RAVEN**

The door said. It was practically the only thing that signified that this room had belonged to the dark girl. Otherwise, it was completely ignored.

Nightwing quickly turned away and continued walking. She was in the past now. Raven could be dead for all they knew.

But something was telling him that she wasn't.

Call him crazy, but perhaps it was the envelope on his bed marked _The Titans _in her neat, spidery handwriting.


	4. An Unexpected Meeting

**Coming Home**

Chapter Three: An unexpected meeting

Nightwing walked down the hallway, holding the unopened letter in his hand. He was sure it was from Raven. This was due to the handwriting, and the wax raven-shaped seal on the back.

The other titans were in the living room, still talking about the upcoming party. Terra was the first to notice him approaching them.

"Hey, I thought you were going to bed. What's up?" She asked him. The others stopped talking, and looked at him curiously.

"I found this," Nightwing held up the envelope, "on my bed."

"Who's it from?" Cyborg asked.

"Is it a love letter?" Changeling asked, grinning. Nightwing barely kept himself from blushing, thinking of the boxes of unread love notes in the various storage rooms.

"It's to all of us. I don't know who it's from, though I have an idea..." Nightwing told them, and opened it. He scanned it quickly, and smiled.

"Well? Who's it from?"

"What's it say?"

Nightwing noticed for the first time that Star was absent.

"Where's Star?" He asked.

"Went out with Speedy," Terra answered. "She probably won't be back until tomorrow morning."

"That's more than I needed to know," Nightwing muttered, and handed the letter to Cyborg.

_My dearest friends,_

_As I promised you years ago, I've come back. I can't tell you where I am right now, but I'll be in touch soon. I promise. Oh, and Star, congratulations. I love you all._

_Your friend,_

_Raven_

Cyborg read it silently, his eyes growing wide. "Raven?"He whispered. He had forgotten her–they all had. Until that night when the first letter came from their friend.

"What?" Changeling said. "Let me see that!" Cyborg handed it to his green friend without a word. Changeling beamed as he read it.

"What's she mean, though? Why's she congratulating Star?" Changeling asked as Terra read it. Nightwing and Cyborg shrugged.

"She knew about tonight," Terra said, a puzzled expression on her face. "She knew Star would be with Speedy, so she wouldn't read it until tomorrow... after it happened."

"After what happened?" They asked, wondering how Terra knew this.

"For a few weeks now, I've been helping Speedy with some stuff. Helping to pick out a romantic spot, what to wear, what to say, and most importantly, to pick out the right ring.

"Raven somehow knew that Speedy was going to propose to Star tonight, which is what she's congratulating her on. What I want to know is how Raven knew." Terra concluded.

"Speedy and Star are gonna get married!" Changeling yelled. "Where're they gonna live? I guess Speedy can share a room with Star, hehehe..."

"Pervert," Terra said, and Cyborg whacked him lightly on the back of the head.

"Only around you," Changeling told his girlfriend, who laughed and whacked him.

"I'm going to bed," Nightwing told them again.

"Night," Cyborg said. "I think I'm going, too. I have to get away from those two." He jerked a thumb back at Changeling and Terra, who were making out on the couch.

"Go to one of your rooms, guys. We really don't need to see anything. I'd like to keep the footage on the security cameras below R." Nightwing told them, rolling his eyes beneath his ever-present mask.

"Sorry," Changeling muttered. Terra giggled, blushing.

"I think we'll take that advice," She told Nightwing, and grabbed Changeling's hand. The blonde then pulled her boyfriend into the elevator, laughing.

"I liked it better when we were all chaste losers," Cyborg commented. "It was a lot less... freaky that way. I really didn't need to see all of that."

Nightwing laughed, and agreed with his friend as Cyborg went into his room. Nightwing started towards his room, and then changed his mind about going to sleep. He needed a walk.

He changed into a black sweatsuit, and put sunglasses on. He didn't want to be mobbed by those fangirls again like he was last week.

Nightwing frowned at the unpleasant memory before turning his thoughts to happier ones. Most of them of Raven.

Memories that he had long forgotten came rushing back. Raven making sarcastic comments, Raven reading, Raven talking with him, Raven meditating, Raven cooking, Raven laughing, Raven smiling, his thoughts were so focused on his friend that he didn't notice when he ran into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry," He said, and reached down to help her up. She smiled at him.

"It's alright," She told him. The girl was pretty, Nightwing thought. She had a good figure, black hair, and...

He paused at her eyes.

They were not-quite the same color that Raven's had been. These girl's eyes were a shade darker...

"Nightwing, right?" She asked.

"How did you know?" The superhero asked.

"Who else would wear sunglasses at night?" She answered, smiling.

"Oh, these... I guess I didn't really think about those," Nightwing admitted. "What's your name?"

"...Cesia," She told him after a slight pause.

"Cesia... That's a pretty name," Nightwing said, and instantly regretted it. He didn't want his mind to start wandering off of his duties as Jump City's protector. He couldn't start a conversation with this girl. He couldn't become her friend. But that didn't change the fact that he wanted to. He was drawn to this Cesia girl for some reason.

"Thanks," She answered, giving him another small smile.

She did look a lot like Raven. It could be possible, he told himself. She was on Earth again, after all. It could be her. Why not give it a shot?

"You look like someone I know... A friend of mine," He said, trying to sound casual instead of inquisitive.

"Really?"

"Mm-hm, her name's Raven."

"Wish I could have a normal name like that. But no, I had to get stuck with some weird parents who decided to name me Cesia," She rolled her eyes, smiling.

Nope, not Raven, he decided with some disappointment. Raven never talked about her parents. Ever. It was just one of those things about Raven.

"Well, it's late. I'm sure your teammates will be worried about you," Cesia told him. He nodded, smiling.

"It was nice meeting you," He told her.

"You too," She agreed. "See you around."

"Yeah." And he walked off towards the tower.

Raven let the door to the hotel room fall shut with a loud thump, not paying any attention to it. That had been too close for her. She didn't want any of the Titans to know who she was yet. Not until she was ready to tell them, and she certainly wasn't ready yet.

She knew the comment about her parents had thrown him off, but it wouldn't work a second time, she knew. She would have to make herself seem completely different from the girl they knew, until the time when she was ready to be part of the team again. Raven was pretty sure she didn't want to use her "tell them on the anniversary" plan. Maybe she would just wait until next year.

But for now, sleep was her top priority. She needed to get all the rest she could so she could hunt for an apartment and a job tomorrow. Wonderful.


	5. Announcements and New Allies

**Coming Home**

Chapter Four: Announcements and New Allies

"Friends, I have returned!" Star yelled, and flew into the kitchen, a happy smile on her face. She was so happy she seemed not to have noticed that she put her shoes on the wrong feet, and her skirt was backwards.

Her friends looked at her, wondering if she was going to tell them about the engagement. Obviously it had gone well if she was this happy.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"What's up?"

Starfire beamed. "Friends, I have something to tell you." They waited for her to tell them about the engagement. "Speedy has asked to marry me!" They reacted happily, and Starfire didn't even notice the way that they gave each other knowing glances while telling her congratulations.

"And..." There was more? "I am going to have a bumgorf!" This was news they had not expected. The engagement, yes, but a baby?

"Uh... that means baby, right?" Changeling asked.

"Yes! I am going to be a knorfka!" Star told them excitedly.

"That's great, Star!" Cyborg told her. The others quickly copied his statement.

Nigthwing made himself seem happy to them all, but inside, he was worried. This meant that Star couldn't fight. He knew she would object, but he needed her out of the fights for the moment, until she had the baby.

'I'll talk to her tonight,' Nightwing thought, but that plan was ruined by the alarm.

"Well, it looks like it's time for a fight!" Changeling said.

"You guys head out, I'll be there in a second," Nightwing told them. "I need to talk to Star." They nodded, and took off towards the garage.

"What is it, Friend Nightwing?" Star asked him.

"Star, I'm really happy for you, but I'm also worried... I mean, I don't want you or the baby getting hurt..." Nightwing told her. "I think it's better if you don't fight." Star gave him a smile.

"I understand. I will stay here," She said.

"Thanks. Oh, and there's a letter on the kitchen table. It was sent yesterday. Read it while we're gone," Nigthwing told her. She nodded, and he followed his friends towards the garage.

Raven had just arrived on the scene, and was busy fighting some criminal she was unfamiliar with, when the Titans showed up.

"Titans, go!" Nightwing yelled. Beneath the cloth that covered all of her face but her eyes, she smiled. He still said that cheesy line.

"Dude, how'd Kyril get out of prison?" Changeling yelled as they charged into battle.

"I don't... know?" Cyborg replied, as all the Titans stopped short at the sight of someone else fighting the villain.

She must have looked odd to them. A white cloth covering her hair, and a blue one covering her mouth and nose. That was corrected to her bodysuit, made of a durable cloth (like the mask) instead of the uncomfortable spandex.

"Ah, a new heroine, eh?" Kyril said, smiling. He threw a punch towards her, and Raven caught his fist in her hand. She twisted, just enough to cause him a bit of discomfort and distract him, and then kicking his side. He jumped out of the way at the last moment.

"Feisty, aren't you?" He asked. She gave no answer. The Titans just stood on the side, watching her fight.

"Well, you all aren't my targets..." Kyril laughed, and threw the bags of money at the surprised Titans. "He is!" Kyril drew a gun out of his black coat, and aimed it at the black limousine that had stopped beside them. It broke a window, but hit no one. An grey haired man stepped out of the front, and quickly approached one of the doors and opened it.

"Hurry, Master Bruce," The man said. Then it clicked. For all of them. The older man was Alfred Pennyworth, and the other was Bruce Wayne, multi-millionaire and father to a boy named Richard Grayson. Oh, and there was that other hobby, too...

He was Batman.

But, as they saw, he was injured. One of his arms was bandaged. The man was in no condition to fight.

Kyril fired the gun before any of the Titans, or Raven, had a chance to move. The bullet sped towards Bruce, and they all went running towards him. Bruce didn't see it, as he was too preoccupied talking to Alfred.

They were all aware that they weren't close enough to the car to get there in time, and yelled at Bruce to watch out. He couldn't hear them. Bruce and Alfred were now inspecting the broken window. A perfect target for the bullet, which was fast approaching.

Things seemed to move in slow motion. They didn't remember that Raven (although they had no idea who she was at the time) was there until the saw her shove Bruce out of the way at the last possible second.

She took the bullet for him.

It had gone into her left shoulder, blood beginning to flow rapidly from it. She stood, holding her shoulder with her right hand.

Leaning against the car, she turned towards the Titans. Raven opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Kyril.

"Tsk, tsk. What a pity. You have such nice eyes... But you had to get in the way..." He said from the top of a building on the other side of the street.

The Titans paid no attention to him, staring at the girl leaning against the limo, breathing heavily.

"He's getting away," She told them quietly. Raven's vision was beginning to blur, and black had begun appearing at the edges of her vision.

Nightwing, at the sight of the injured girl, immediately snapped back into leader mode. "Terra, Changeling, come with me to track down Kyril. Cyborg, take her to the tower."

"No..." Raven protested weakly. She wasn't heard.

"Right."

"I'll take her. You go," Bruce said.

"You sure?" Nightwing asked. Bruce nodded.

"Take the T-Car. It's faster." Cyborg told him, tossing the keys towards the man. Bruce nodded, and the Titans departed.

"You don't want to go to Titans Tower?" Bruce asked. Raven shook her head, and instantly regretted it. Her head was pounding already, and that small movement only made things worse.

"We'll go home then. Let me drive, Alfred. Thank you." He helped Raven into the backseat, and he climbed into the front.

The last thing Raven heard before falling unconscious was, "Master Bruce, I realize that we're in a hurry, but do you really have to drive in such a radical manner?"


	6. Explanations

**Coming Home**

Chapter Five: Explanations

Nightwing had sent his friends back to the tower a while ago. He was driving to Bruce's house in a terribly bad mood. Kyril had gotten away. He was sure to try again, and now he had a reason, if he wanted one, to hold a grudge against that girl.

He felt responsible. Wasn't he a Titan? And wasn't it the Titans' job to make sure that everyone in the city was safe? Yes, both were true. Which is why he felt horrible about the girl getting shot.

He felt he should have done something to save her. Nightwing was confident that he could have, which made him feel even worse. He could have prevented someone getting hurt, but didn't.

Nightwing pressed a few buttons on his communicator, and it called the Manor.

"Wayne residence," Alfred answered after one ring.

"It's me."

"Master Richard! I suppose you want to hear about the girl?" Alfred asked. Nightwing nodded, and then, remembering that Alfred couldn't see him, said:

"Yeah."

"She's just fine. We called Dr. Wood on the way home, and he was waiting for us when we got here, so she was taken care of quickly." Alfred explained. Nightwing let out a sigh of relief. Dr. Wood was a doctor in Gotham, and one of the only ones to know who Batman truly was. He was the one that Bruce and Alfred called in an emergency.

"That's great. Why didn't you take her to the Tower? It would have been a lot quicker," Nightwing pointed out.

"We were going to, but she insisted that she did not want to go to the tower," Alfred told him. Nightwing raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"I think she didn't want you to know who she is." Alfred told the young man.

"That makes sense. But she could have just told us not to take the mask off–" Nightwing thought out loud.

"Impossible. It had to be removed in order to give her oxygen during the procedure," Alfred said.

"Oh. Well, anyways, do you know who she is?" He asked.

"Master Bruce is still searching for that information," Alfred answered him. Nightwing knew what this meant: He was trying to look her up on the supercomputer in the Bat cave.

"Right. I'll be there in about fifteen to twenty minutes, Alfred. See ya."

"Goodbye, Master Richard."

"...and we were chasing him, but Kyril still got away," Changeling concluded, finally finished telling the story to Star. Cyborg was over at the computer, trying to make contact with Robin with no success. Terra was using Cyborg's computer to try and find information on Kyril's location.

"Friends, does this not mean that–" Star began, but was cut off by Cyborg's yell from the computer.

"I got through!" Everyone ran over, eager to see their leader and hear about how the girl was.

"Hey, man. How is she?" Cyborg asked.

"She'll be fine." Nightwing answered. "Glad to hear it," Terra said, smiling a little.

"What's her name?"

"We don't know yet. She's still asleep," Nightwing answered.

"Oh. Well, could you tell us when you find out something else?" Changeling asked. "Please?"

"Sure. I'll call back in an hour. And I think it goes without saying that I'm going to be spending the night here in Gotham."

"Then why'd you say it?"

"Changeling!"

"Sorry."

Raven groaned, wondering where she was. The last thing that she remembered was being in the car with Bruce and Alfred. 'Please not the Tower...' Raven thought.

"Ah, you're awake," Bruce said, walking into the room and over to the side of the large bed that Raven lay in. There was a bandage over her left shoulder, which hurt like Hades.

"Where am I?" She asked him.

"My home–Wayne Manor," Bruce answered. "Now our main question: who are you?" Raven sighed. She knew that Bruce would figure it out eventually if she didn't tell him, so she'd better come clean.

"I've learned that it's so much better to be honest, especially with you," She said after a moment. "I'm Raven."

"Raven? The one that left for Azarath four years ago? We thought you were dead," Bruce told her. "The only reason we never had a funeral was Star. She was so optimistic, we just couldn't bear to hurt her by taking away that hope."

"I'm sorry," Raven said, and the door opened once again, revealing Nightwing.

"Hello. Are you alright?" He asked. She nodded.

"Thank you," She said. -Please don't tell him who I am. Just tell him that my name is Cesia. He's already met her.-

"Cesia, right?" He asked, before Bruce or Raven could say anything. She nodded. "I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, Mr. I-wear-  
sunglasses-at-night," Raven said, smiling. He laughed.

"I hate to interrupt, but you should call your friends," Bruce said. Nightwing nodded.

"You're right. You should rest, okay?" He told Raven. She nodded.

"I will."

Bruce turned back to her as soon as the door shut. "Would you please explain what is going on?"

"It's a rather long story, but if you like..."

Kyril winced as he received a slap to the face. The rich, beautiful woman he knelt in front of was angry, there was no doubt of it.

"I'm very sorry, Lady Karu," Kyril told her. "It will not happen again."

"I hope not, for it is your life on the line. You know what will happen if you fail. I will be most displeased," Lady Karu of the remote planet of Sakaris told Kyril.

"I'll tell you again what you are to do, and this time you are not to forget and follow my plan, Kyril," Lady Karu told him. "I want you to dispose of Bruce Wayne, the Titans, all major political leaders of Earth, Tamaran, Azarath, and Kawali. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Lady Karu." Kyril answered, wondering what exactly he had gotten himself into when he agreed to do this. "I understand."

Lady Karu placed her hand under his chin, and tilted his face upwards.

"Good boy. Now go."


End file.
